Barbed-wire bundle



Feb. 27, 1968 s. c. GEDGE ETAL. 3,370,699

BARBED-WIRE BUNDLE Filed Jan. 28, 1966 I/VVEIVTORS SEYMOUR 6v 6506!: andV/IL L IAM H. JOHNS United States Patent Ofifice 3,370,699 Patented Feb.27, 1968 3,370,699 BARBED-WIRE BUNDLE Seymour C. Gedge, Petoskey, Mich.,and William H. Johns, South Euclid, Ohio, assignors to United StatesSteel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 28, 1966, Ser.No. 523,684 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-59) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Abarbed-wire bundle which eliminates the usual reel with its core. Thebundle includes a plurality of helically wound layers with the directionof lay in each layer being opposite to that in adjacent layers. It isnecessary that the layers have a pitch of at least 1%," which issubstantially greater than the pitch used in bundles with a core.

This invention relates to a barbed-wire bundle and is more particularlydirected to a barbed-Wire bundle which is self-supporting. For manyyears barbed-wire has been wound on wire reels mounted on a mandrel.After the bundle is completed, the barbed-wire and the wire reel areremoved from the mandrel as a single unit. The barbed-wire is laid uphelically in a plurality of layers with the direction of lay in eachlayer being opposite to that in the adjacent layers. The pitch is short,about /1 inch, which causes successive layers to cross one another at avery slight angle. The cost of the barbedwire reel and the expenseincurred in assembling it on the mandrel form a very substantial part ofthe manufacture of the bundle. The reel has a center core and two endflanges and it is customary to lift such reels of barbed-wire byengaging the center core or one of the legs of the flanges. Neither ofthese locations provides a suitable handle because they are near thebarbed-wire. In paying oif the barbed-wire in the field, the bundle isrotated on a shaft that is inserted snugly through aligned center holesin the end flanges. When a snag occurs, a sudden jerk will usuallydisengage it, but this sudden jerk also causes an undesirableacceleration of the rotation of the reel because it is rotating aboutits center of gravity. This usually causes one or two loose wraps ofbarbed-wire on the reel which often fall off to the side and becomeentangled with the shaft or the legs of the reel. This necessitatesstopping the stringing to disentangle the barbed-wire.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a barbed-wirebundle which eliminates the reel and the disadvantages thereof.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to thefollowing specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of apparatus which may be used in forming abundle and showing layers of barbedwire in place on the mandrel;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bundle of barbed-wire of ourinvention; and

FIG. 3 is a view showing the bundle of FIGURE 2 supported for paying offthe barbed wire.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2designates a barbed-wire bundle of our invention. The bundle 2 comprisesa plurality of layers of barbed-wire 4 which are arranged around anaxial coreless opening 6. As in the conventional bundle, the barbedwirein each layer is helically wound with the direction of lay in each layerbeing opposite to that in the adjacent layers. However, contrary to theteaching in the prior art, the barbed-wire is laid with a relativelylong pitch P which we have found must be at least 1% inches. Thisresults in the wires in adjacent layers crossing at an angle A ofapproximately 10 or greater. We have found that when the reel iseliminated and the barbed-wire wound directly on a mandrel with theshort pitch previously used, the barbed-wires in adjacent layers nestletogether in such a manner that the barbs lock together and, in addition,the bundle has a tendency to split in the middle. In addition, becausethe wire is substantially normal to the axis of the bundle, there is atendency for the wire adjacent the ends of the bundle to slip beyond theend of the bundle. While we have found that the bundle can be handledwithout any additional wrappings, it is advisable to fasten tie wires 8and 10 through the axial opening 6 and around the outside of the bundlein diametric alignment, as shown in FIGURE 2, and to connect the ends ofa wire handle 12 to the tie wires 8 and 10.

In making up a bundle, the barbed-wire 4 passes over a wire guide 14 andis wound on a driven mandrel 16 having end members 17 and will reverseits direction of travel after each layer of barbed-wire is laid. Thewire guide 14 traverses a shaft 18. This equipment is conventional andit is preferred that the guide 14 be positively driven transversely asin Putnam et al. Patent No. 359,- 917, dated June 20, 1882, since whenso driven it is possible to better control the pitch. However, thebundles have been made successfully on equipment similar to that shownin Bates Patent No. 265,723, dated June 28, 1887, in which the wireguide 14 is traversed by movement of the barbed-wire itself. After thebundle is completed it is stripped from the mandrel 16 in the usualmanner by removing one of the end members 17. The tie wires 8 and 10 andhandle 12 are then applied and the bundle is ready for shipment.

In removing the barbed-wire from the bundle, the wires 8 and 10 andhandle 12 are removed and the bundle is supported in horizontal positionon a rod 20, which in turn is supported on bracket 22. The rod 20 has adiameter substantially less than that of opening 6. For example, it isquit common to have the diameter of the core opening 5 inches and thediameter of the rod 20, 1% inches. In such an arrangement the center ofgravity of the bundle is 2 /2 inches below the center of rotation sothat when a snag occurs it can be disengaged by a sudden jerk withoutcausing any acceleration in the rotation of the bundle. Thus thebarbed-wire will not become entangled with the shaft. The long pitchalso helps to prevent Wraps falling ofl the bundle because thebarbed-wire approaches the edge of the bundle at a considerable angleand then recedes immediately from the edge at a similar angle.

While we have shown one embodiment of our invention it will be apparentthat other adaptations and modifications may be made without departingfrom the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A barbed-wire bundle comprising a plurality of layers of barbed-wirearound an axial coreless opening, the barbed-wire in each layer beinghelically wound with a minimum pitch of 1% inches, the direction of layin each layer being opposite to that in the adjacent layers.

- 2. A barbed-Wire bundle according to claim 1 in which the wires inadjacent layers cross at a minimum angle of 3. A barbed-wire bundleaccording to claim 1 includ- 162,760 ing two tie wires passing throughthe axial opening and 5 750056 around the outside of the bundle. 7847944. A barbed-wire bundle according to claim 3 in which the two tie wiresare in diametric alignment, and a wire handle has its ends connected tosaid tie wires.

Goddu 20659 Woodman 224-57 Kimball 20659 McGregor 206-59 Scott 206-59WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner.

